Apparatus for burning liquid fuel in conjunction with steam.



No. 844,004. PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

I. COTTON. APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID FUEL IN CONJUNCTION WITH STEAM.

APPLICATION FILED H3112, I906. RENEWED JAN. 5, 1907.

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UNTTEE STATES PATENT @FFTGE.

FRANK COTTON, OF I-IORNSBY, NEW SOUTH WZ-iLES, AUSTRALIA.

APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID FUEL IN CONJUNCTION WITH STEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed May 12, 1905. Renewed January 5, 1907. Serial No. 351,018.

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK COTTON, of Hornsbv, in the State of New South Wales, in the Commonwealth of Australia, engineer, have invented an Improved Apparatus-for Burning Liquid Fuel in Conjunction with Steam, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for burning liquid fuel in conjunction with steam.

This invention relates to an apparatus for burning liquid fuel, such as the residuum of petroleum and other liquids of like nature, in conjunction with superheated steam.

The apparatus may be used in connection with steam-boiler or smelting furnaces or any other furnace in which great heat is required.

The essentials in a successful liquid-fuel burner of this class are, first, means for introducing the oil and steam into the mixingchamber of the burner at the same pressure; second, perfect control of the relative quantities of steam and oil admitted into the burner; third, means for perfectly controlling (a) the emission of emulsion from the mixingchamber, and (b) the admission of same into the retort; fourth, means for vaporizing the emulsion after it leaves the mixingchamber and prior to its emission from the burner.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for burning liquid fuel in con junction with steam which will be capable of perfect control and which will generate a vapor or gas which may be readi burned in anv furnace without smoke.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which this invention pertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents diagrammatically the complete apparatus, showing the burner in position in the firnace of a steam-boiler. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the burner. Fig. 3 is a crosssection through line 00 y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section showing the mixingchamber of burner with the central controlling tubes in elevation.

In Fig. 1 (which shows the method of introducing the steam and oil into the burner so that the pressure at which the oil is admitted. is automatically maintained the same as the steam in the boiler,) a is the burner placed in position in the furnace of a steam-boiler 6. Steam which has been previously superheated by means of a coil in the smoke-box of the boiler or by any other suitable convenient means is admitted into the burner through the pipe I). b is controlling-valve. c is the oil or other liquid-fuel reservoir, which is connected, by means of a suctionpipe (Z, to a horizontal pump (Z. The pump may be of an suitable design. (Z is oil-delivery pipe from pump. (Z is an air vessel in oil-deliv ry pipe, (hereil'iafter called the accumulator.) (Z is a pressure-gage in oildelivery pipe. (Z is overflow-pipe provided for the purpose of empt 'ing the accumulator and delivery-pipe. (Z is steam-exhaust pipe. The suction and delivery pipes are provided with proper controlling-valves, as shown. 0 is steam-supply pipe to pump d, and e is controlling-valve therein. 6 is boiler-pressure gage. o is a dished metal stand on which the burner is supported in the furnace. This stand is attached to the front plate of the furnace and projects within the fire-box. The portion within the fire-box is dished and adapted to hold kerosene or other inflammable oil and is provided for the purpose of heating the coil and retort prior to starting the apparatus.

-When considered more convenient, the preliminary heating of the retort may be accomplished by the substitution for the kerosene dish of one or more jets of gas.

In Figs. 2, 3, and 4, which show the details of the burner, f is the controlling-valve for the inlet of oil to the burner, and Z) is the steam-inlet with its controlling-valve 6 Fig. 1.

The burner is subdivided into four compartments, namely:

First. The mixing-chamber 7i, into which the oil or other liquid fuel and superheated steam are admitted.

Second. An insulated valve-chamber Z, containing a checlovalve Z.

Third. A heating-coil 0, and, fourth, a retort p. 75 is a centrally-placed fixed tube within the mining-chamber 7L. This tube is screwed or otherwise attached at its forward end to the valve-chamber Z, while its free end passes through the end of the mixing-chamber. 41 i are a pair of tapered slots cut in the tube 7c, one on each side. Zn" is a sleeve fitting within the tube Zr. This sieeve is partially screw-threaded and engages corresponding threads within the tube Zc and is thus adapted to be moved backward or forward by In the drawings the slots 1' t are shown completely closed by the sleeve 7c. The forward end of the valve-chamber Z, containing the check-valve Z, passes through the diaphragm g and terminates in a nozzle m, while the rearward end of the valve-chamb or projects into the mixing-chamber h. The emulsion after passing through the slots i i into the valve-chamb er then passes through the check-valve Z and thence through the nozzle m into the heating-coil 0, from which it passes through the perforated plate 0 into the retort p, andfinally escapes through the aperture p into the furnace.

to is insulating material, such as asbestos or the like, surrounding the valve-chamber. T he aperture in the nozzle m is controlled by a spear-valve 772/, which is operated by means of a longitudinal spindle n, which passes through a fixed tube n to the rear of the burner, The spear-valve and spindle is adapted to be operated in a similar manner to the sleeve 7cthat, is to say, by having a portion of the spindle n screw-threaded and engaging corresponding threads in its contaming-tube n, so that by revolving the spindle by means of the wheel or handle n the valve will be moved either backward or forward, as desired. The tube a is provided with suitable stufling-boxes n and n. The coil 0, into which the emulsion passes from the nozzle m, is for the sake of space shown in the drawings with only two turns; but in practice it may be extended to any desired length and may be carried on the outside of the burner-casing and returned to the position shown, the object being to give the emulsion time to get heated before reaching the retort p, where it is converted into a gas. 8 is a cone shaped spreader or lighter which is placed in front of the retortaper ture p at any desired distance therefrom. This spreader or lighter may be of any suitable material, such as firecla v, compressed carbon, or the like. The object of this spreader is that the vapor or gas escaping from the nozzle may be lighted and kept alight as near the outlet as possible. The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The dished metal stand 1), on which the burner is supported in the furnace, is filled with kerosene or other inflammable oil, which is lighted, and the coil 0, retort p, and spreader s allowed to become thoroughly heated. Steam is now turned onto the pump cl and oil pumped from the oil-reservoir 0 into the accumulator d until the pressure therein, as indicated by the gage d corre- The valves 6 andf are now opened to admit, re-

spectively, steam and oil into the burner a. The steam-valve e, admitting steam to the pump d is now adjusted so that the pump will automatically maintain the oil-pressure equal to the boiler steam-pressure. The relative quantities of oil and superheated steam admitted into the mixing-chamb er are controlled by manipulating the valves 7 and I)", while the quantity of emulsion passing through the heating-coil to the retort is regulated and controlled by the sleeve Is and the valve 7%. As the emulsion passes through the coil 0 its temperature is gradually raised, so that when it escapes into the retort p through the perforated disk 0 it is at once vaporized and passes through the aperture p in the form of gas, which lights and burns with an intensely hot flame and without smoke. underlying the burner in the furnace may be kept alight until the reflected heat from the furnace is sufficiently intense to maintain the temperature of the retort p at from 800 to 1,000 Fahrenheit.

Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what I claim is 1. An apparatus for burning liquid fuel in The independent heater 11' conjunction with steam, having a'burner comprising four compartments namely, a mixing-chamber, an insulated valve-chamber containing a check-valve, a heating-coil, a retort, a controlling-valve for regulating the supply of emulsionfrom the mixing-chamber, a valve for regulating and sprayingthe emulsion into the heating-coil, and means for the admission of steam and oil into the mixingchamber.

2. An apparatus for burning liquid fuel in conjunction with steaml aving a burner comprising a tubular shell divided into four intercommunicating compartments namely, a 1r ixing-chamb er with inlets for the steam and oil, an insulated valvechamber, heatingccil, and a retort having an outlet for the emulsion, a regulating-valve for controlling the means of communication between the mixing and valve chambers, a checlcvalve for the valvechamber, and a valve controlling the mcans of communication between the valve-chamber and heating-coil.

3. An apparatus for burning liquid fuel in conjunction with steam having a burner com prising a tubular shell divided into four intercommunicating compartments namely, a mixing-chamb or with inlets fo the steam and oil, an insulated valve-chamber, a heatingccil, and a retort having-an outlet for the emulsion, a regulating-valve for controlling the means of communication between the mixing and valve chambers, a check-valve for the valve-chamber, a valve controlling the means of communication between the valve-chamber end heztingmoil, and e. spreader opposed to the outlet of the retort.

4. An epper tus for burning liquid fuel in conjunction with steam, having a burner comprising four compartments n l e mixing-chenher, en insuleted vnl her con 'ning c check-valve, c. hetrinre retort, c, controlling-valve for regule the supply of enu .sion from the mixingchamber, 2 valve for regu mg and spnyying the emulsion into the he: ring-c oil, in 0 hinntion with mecns for introducing steer etc the mixing-chamber end other means f or introducing oil into the mixing-chamber :Jt the same pressure es the steam.

An e e-pnretus fer lmrning liquid fuel in conjunctim. with StGitlll lmving burner comprising e tubulnr shell divided into four inter' emmunieering conrcrtments namely, c mixing-cherub er with inlets for the steem and oil, an insulated velve-ch her, it heatingcoil, and n retort hnving an outlet for the emulsion, e regul 'ng-vclve for controlling the menus of communication between the mixing and valve cheinbers, chec evelve fer the valve-chamber, e valve centrolling the means of ccmmunicetion between the valve-chamber end heating-coil, in combinetion with means for introducing steam into the mixing-chamber and other meens for in troducing oil into the mixing-chamber at the same pressure as the steam.

6. An apparatus for burning liquid fuel in conjunction with steem having a burner com prising a tubular shell divided into four interconnnuniceting compartments namely, e mixing-chmnber with inlets for the steem and oil, an insulated valve-chamber, sheetingccil, and e retcrt having an outlet fer the emulsion, e regulating-valve for ccntrolling the means of communication between the mixing and valve chambers, a check-valve for the vnlv -chcmber, e valve controlling the means of communication between the valve-chamber end hentingceil, spreader opposed to the outlet of the retort, in combination with in cans for introducing steam into the mixing-slumber, and other meens fcr intro ducing oil into the mixing-chamber the same pressure as the steam.

7. An apparatus for burning liquid fuel in ccnjunction with steam, having a burner comprising four compartments namely, mixin 'chnnib er, an insulated valve-chamber contci ing check-valve, e heating-coil, u retort, e controlling-velve for regulating the supply cf emulsion from the mixing-chnmb er, it valve for regulating end sprrtying the emulsion into the heating-coil, meens for the edmission of. stemn and cil into the mixingchember, end auxiliary means for heating the coil and retort.

8. An apparatus for burning liquid fuel in conjunction with steam having a. burner comprising a tubular shell divided into four intercommuniceting compartments namely, a mixing-chamber with inlets for the steam and oil, an insulated valve-chamber, a heating-coil and a retort having an outlet for the emulsion, a regrleling-velve for controlling the means of communication between the mixing and valve chambers, a check-valve for the valve-chmrlser, a valve controlling the means of 60111111 nicelion between the valve-chamber and heating-coil, and auxiliary means for heating the coil and retort.

9. An apparatus for burning liqrid fuel in conjunction v ith steam having 9. burner comprising a tubular shell divided into four intercommunieating compartments namely, a mixing-chamber with inlets for the steam and oil, an insrplztted valve-chamber, a. heating-coil, and a retort having an outlet for the emulsion, e regulating-valve for controlling the means of communication between the mixing and valve chambers, a check-valve for the valve-chamber, a valve controlling the means of communication between the valve chamber and heating coil and a spreader opposed to the outlet of the retort, and auxiliary means for heating the coil and retort.

10. An apparatus for burning liqrid fuel in conjunction with steam, having a burner comprising four compartments namely, a mixing-chamber, an insulated valve-chamber containing a check-valve, a heating-coil, a retort, a. controlling-valve for regulating the supply of emulsion from the mixing chamber, a valve for regulating and spraying the emulsion into the heating-coil, in combination with means for introducing steam into the mixingchember, other means for introducing oil into the mixing-chamber at the same pressure as the steam, and auxiliary means for heating the coil and retort.

11. An apparatus for burning liqrid fuel in conjunction with steam having a burner comprising it tubular shell divided into four intercommunicsting compartments namely, a mixing-chamber with inlets for the steam and oil, an insulated valve-chamber, a heating-coil, and e retort having an outlet for the emulsion, a regtleting-velve for controlling the means of com1 unieeticn between the mixing and valve chambers, a check-valve for the valve-chamber, a valve controlling the means of communication between the valve-chamber and heating-coil, in combination with means for introducing steam into the mixing-chamber other means for introducing oil into the mixing-chamber at the same pressure as the steam, and auxiliary means for heating the coil and retort.

12. An apperatrs for burning liquid fuel in conjtnction with steam having a burner comprising a tubular shell divided into four intercommunicating compartments, namely, a mixing-chamber with inlets for the steam and oil, an insulated valve-chamber, a heat ing-coll, and a retort having an outlet for the emulsion, a regulating-valve for controlling the means of communication between the mixing and valve chambers, a check-valve for the valve-chamber, a valve controlling the means of communication between the valve-chamber and heating-coil, a spreader opposed to the outlet of the retort, in combination with means for introducing steam into the mixing-chamber, other means for introducing oil into the mixing-chamber at the same pressure as the steam, and auxiliary means for heating the coil and retort.

13. An apparatus for burning liquid fuel in conjunction with steam having a burner comprising four compartments namely, a mixing-chamber, an insulated valve-chamber containing a check-valve, a heating-coil, a retort, a controllingwalve for regulating the supply of emulsion from the mixingchamber, a valve for regulating and spraying the emulsion into the heating-coil, in combination with means for introducing steam into the mixing-chamber, and other means for introducing oil into the mixing-chamber at the same pressure as the steam, consisting of an oil-reservoir, a pump connected therewith and an accumulator connected with the pump and oil-inlet of the mixing-chamber.

14. An apparatus for burning liquid fuel in conjrnction with steam, having a burner comprising four compartments namely, a mixing-chamber, an insulated valvecham her containing a checlevalve, a heating-coil, a retort, a controlling-valve for regulating the supply of emulsion from the mixingchamher, a valve for regulating and spraying the emulsion into the heating-coil, in combination with means for introducing steam into the mixing-chamber, and other means for introducing oil into the mixing-chamber at the same pressure as the steam, consisting of an oil-reservoir, a pump connected therewith and an accumulator connected with the pump and oil-inlet of the mixing-chamber, and auxiliary means for heating the coil and retort.

Signed at Sydney, New South WVales, this 23d day of March, 1905.

FRANK COTTON.

Witnesses WALTER SIGMOND, ARTHUR GRIFFITH. 

